Feed apron for wringers



Dec. 2, 1930. F. w. SIGSBEY 1,783,347

FEED APRON FOR WRINGERS Filed April 3. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 2,1930. 7 F. w. SIGSBEY 1,783,347 I FEED APRQN FOR WRINGERS Filed April 3, "1928 2 Sheets-Sheet ,2

Patented Dec. 2, 1930.

FRED W. SIGSBEY, O1 'WILLOUGHBY, OH IO FEED APBON FOR 'WBINGERS Application filed April 8, 1928. Serial No. 266,960.

In the present day construction of washing machines, it is neither feasible nor pracdeal to include in the clothes wringing attachment a feed apron for feeding clothes to this last mentioned device. The reasons for' existence of this condition are several. In the first place proper operation of a feed apron or belt requires that the carrier belt be maintained fairl taut and the devices heretofore capable o proper functioning in: clude such supporting structure in the form of brackets as to make their incorporation into a wringer that is part of a washing machine, practically impossible. The primary object of this invention therefore, is to provide a feed apron for a washer that is adaptable for association with a wringer constituting part of a washing machine construction.

In attainin this end, I avail of a third roller, which is supported by arms and held spaced outwardl from one of the wringing rollers. One oft e particularl praiseworthy features of the invention resi es in the manner in which these supporting arms are affixed to the machine and held rigidly extending therefrom. In this connection, ears, now commonly included in the construction of washing machines for the purpose of supporting a finger guard, may be availed of as ivotal supports for pivot members carried y the support-arms adjacent to their ends, and these pivotal members are supported by the ears, the ends of the supporting arms abutting the framework of the wringing attachment, whereby downward movement of the said supporting arms is inhibited, thereby providing the required feature of rigidity.

Inasmuch as I prefer to employ-a rubber or composition endless carrier belt as a feed apron, it is of paramount importance to maintain this belt taut during operation thereof. A referred manner in which I achieve this 0b]80i3 is to avail of supporting arms, as previously mentioned, which are of telescopic construction-and include resilient means constantl exerting a tendency to cause expanding 0 the telescopic parts of the supporting arms. This action continuously urges the third roller outwardly, thereby preventing the creation of slack in the endless carrier.

Specific features of novelty lie in the particular construction of these supporting arms as Will become apparent from the following description of one preferred embodiment of my invention. 7

To the end of properly guidin the endless carrier during operation thereo one of the wringing rollers and the third roller are provided with end flanges that .pevent the belt from slipping off the rollers.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages will in part become apparent'and in part be hereinafter stated as the description of the invention proceeds.- For a full and more com lete. understanding thereof, reference ma e had to the following description an which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a wringing evice included in a washing machine construction and having associated therewith a feed apron made in accordance with this invention, the washing machine being shown somewhat fragmentarily.

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken about on the line 2--2 of Figure 1 of the wringer and feed apron the washing machine proper bein omitte ig. 3 is a front view of the apron as applied to the wringing rollers, other parts of the washer and wringing attachment being omitted.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail showing in side elevation of the supporting arms.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the supporting arms shown in Figure 4.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken about on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Fig. 7 is an'end view of the supporting armsshown in Figures l and. 5, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail illustration of one of the rollers over which the endless carrieroperates.

While a preferred form of the invention is herein set forth,it is to be clearly understood that I am not to be limited to the exact construction illustrated and described, 'because various modifications of these details maybe provided in putting the invention into accompanying drawings, in

practice within the purview of the appended claims.

In this connection, I wish to particularly emphasize the fact that while this feeding device is rimarily designed for use with a wringer t at is a part of a washing machine, it may well be employed with an isolated wringing machine, the benefits and advantages derived from the particular constructions making its use with such highly desirable. Throu hout the following esoription and various gures of the drawings, corresponding parts are denoted by like reference 0 aracters.

Referring now to the drawings, the u per portion of a washing machine is shown ragmentarily in Figure 1 and designated by reference character A. Attached to the washer A, by a pivotal connection shown at B, is a wringing attachment referred to generally b the reference'character C. This wrin er includes various operating instrumenta ities,

but the parts thereof with which this invention is particularl related are the wringing rollers 1 and 2. n this connection, I note that the wringer is operated by impqarting rotative motion to the lower roller 2 t rough the proper medium such as a crank handle, of suitable electrically driven operating mechanism. The wringer C also includes side members 3 and 4 which constitute supports for the various instrumentalities included in the construction.

Extending forwardly from the side pieces 3 and 4 are ears 5, havin openings 6 therein, for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

Sup orting arms referred to enerally by the re erence character 7 are a ed to the ears 5 and extend outwardly therefrom in a rigid position. This is due tot-heir mode of connection with the ears 5 and side pieces 3 and 4. Pins 8 pass through openings 9 in the support 7 ad acent to their ends and the opening 6. The openings 6 and 9 are so arranged that the ends of the supporting arms 7 abut the framework'of the wringer as shown at 10, whereby the said supportin arms are prevented from falling downwar y.

Held between the arms 7 at their outer ends in a position adapted for rotation, is a .third roller 11. An endless carrier belt 12 of any suitable material, preferably rubber,

passes around the rollers 2 and 11 and constitutes the feed apron for the wringer.

It is obvious that rotation of the roller 2 from the proper source causes feeding movement of the carrier 12, so that any clothes ly-- ing thereon will be fed into the wringing machine to have proper operation take place thereon.

By referring particularly to Figure 8 it is noted that both rollers 2 and 11 are provided with end flanges, illustrated at 13, that prevent the carrier belt 12 from slipping sidewise off the said rollers.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, each of the supporting arms 7 comprises telescoping sections 14 and 15 each of which has in its extremity a flattened out or flanged portion, which is availed of, either in afiixing the supporting arms to the framework of the washer or in supporting the roller 11.

The sections 14 and 15 are of hollow con struction, and contain therein a coiled spring 16, that has a tendency to expand the telescopic sections. The spring abuts at one end the extremity of the section 14 as shown at 17, While its other end is in engagement with an abutment plate 18, through which is threaded a screw shaft 19 having a wrench engaging head 20. By rotating the shaft 19 through the medium of the head 20, the position of the abutment plate 18 may be varied so that any desired effective force in the spring 16 may be obtained. In this manner the necessary tension may always be supplied to maintain tautthe carrier belt 12.

The feed apron hereinbefore described, may be attached to a wringer that is a part of a washing machine because of the absence of any depending or protruding supporting brackets which ordinarily inhibits their use in combination with a washing machine.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Mechanism for use with wringing apparatus comprising a carrier belt, a roller supporting means therefor, and tensioning means associated with said supporting means for said carrier belt and the roller comprising telescopic arms, and expanding means for expanding the same. a

2. Mechanism for use with wringing apparatus comprising a carrier belt, a roller supporting means therefor, and tensioning means associated with said supporting means for said carrier belt and the roller comprising telescopic arms, expandin means for expanding said arms and ad usting instrumentalities for adjusting the force of said last named means.

3. A mechanism of the class described, for use with wringing apparatus including a framework and a wringing roller, comprising arms having means for mounting in the same at one of their ends on the framework of the wringing apparatus, said ends of the arms also includin portions adapted to abut said framework w liereby the arms are held rigid in respect thereto, a roller supported by said arms, and an endless carrier belt passing over said last named roller, and adapted to pass over the roller included in the wringing apparatus.

4. A mechanism for use with wringing apparatus, including a framework and a roller, comprising, in combination, su porting arms adapted to extend from said rainetill 

